{"product_id":"agapanthus-africanus-blue","title":"Agapanthus africanus Blue","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eAgapanthus africanus\u003c\/strong\u003e, widely loved as the \u003cstrong\u003eAfrican Lily\u003c\/strong\u003e or \u003cstrong\u003eLily of the Nile\u003c\/strong\u003e, is one of the most striking summer perennials you can grow. It sends up tall, slender stems topped with rounded umbels of deep blue, trumpet-shaped flowers held above glossy, strap-like evergreen leaves. Native to the Western Cape of South Africa, this is the true evergreen species, prized for the intensity of its colour and for the way it performs in pots on a hot, sunny patio.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is worth knowing that the evergreen \u003cstrong\u003eAgapanthus africanus\u003c\/strong\u003e is noticeably less hardy than the familiar deciduous garden hybrids. Rated RHS H3, it is happy outdoors only in mild coastal and southern gardens and tolerates around -5C at most. Soggy ground is far more dangerous to it than a cold snap: park those fleshy roots in waterlogged winter soil and they rot far faster than frost could ever manage. Sharp winter drainage is therefore essential, and in colder gardens it is best grown in a container that can be moved to a frost-free porch or greenhouse from late autumn until spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun in a warm, sheltered spot; the more sun it gets, the more freely it flowers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e fertile, moist but sharply free-draining soil or a loam-based compost, and never wet over winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e a compact evergreen clump to around 0.6 to 0.9 m tall and 0.45 m across within a few seasons.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e half-hardy (RHS H3), so guard it from hard frost and, most of all, from a wet winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgapanthus africanus is superb in containers, and a little root restriction actually encourages a stronger show of flowers, which makes it a natural choice for our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pots\"\u003eplants for pots and containers\u003c\/a\u003e. It also earns a place at the front of a warm \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic border\u003c\/a\u003e and shines in mild \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/coastal-plants\"\u003ecoastal and seaside gardens\u003c\/a\u003e. The nectar-rich summer umbels are a magnet for bees, so it sits happily among our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003eplants for pollinators\u003c\/a\u003e. To see the wider range, browse all of our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e, and read how these plants behave through the year on our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ewhat to expect\u003c\/a\u003e guide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery African Lily we send out is nursery-grown and hand-selected for a healthy clump and strong roots, then carefully packed to arrive in superb condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":57974337864063,"sku":"AGAPAFRIBLUE17","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/iStock-2233530340.jpg?v=1784326912","url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/products\/agapanthus-africanus-blue","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}